


Taang One Shots

by stitch1830



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dates, Drama, Explicit Language, F/M, Family, Fluffy, Gaang (Avatar), Humor, Late Night Conversations, Mentions of Sex, Minor Mentions of the Gaang, Minor Sukka, One Shot, Original Characters - Freeform, Otherwise nothing too crazy, Parenthood, Tags May Change, minor zutara, relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:16:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28897254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stitch1830/pseuds/stitch1830
Summary: A collection of short stories about Toph and Aang that I've had saved in my notes for a few months. Stories are in the ATLA/LOK universe (not canon compliant), and typically revolve around their relationship and family.As of 03/2021, weekly update.
Relationships: Aang/Toph Beifong
Comments: 33
Kudos: 68





	1. Wouldn't Be So Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang and Toph talk about how their friends have changed over the years.
> 
> ~119 AG
> 
> Word Count: 1,468

“You’re doing it wrong.” Toph stated simply.

“Is there really a wrong way to give a foot massage? Not like you’ve ever given me one!” Aang countered.

Toph tossed her hand in the air, “Don’t get your sash in a twist, Twinkletoes. You _normally_ massage then roll the ankle. First clockwise, then counterclockwise. And right now you are rolling my ankles and you haven’t even massaged my foot! So yes, you’re doing it wrong.”

Aang gave Toph a deep sigh and obliged to her demands, but gave off a little chuckle because of the ridiculousness of the conversation.

It was an ordinary evening for the Beifongs. After a long day at work, Aang and Toph would come home to a bare kitchen. The two would scramble around the house, seeing if there was anything edible, then they settled for takeout when they came up empty handed. On special occasions, their house would be fully stocked with delicious foods courtesy of Katara, however, her and Zuko were at the Fire Nation currently and wouldn’t be visiting Republic City until later in the year.

After they finished their meals, the two relaxed and listened to shows on the radio, or Aang would read a book he found laying around. When their daily programming ended for the night, the couple retired to the bedroom, and _somehow_ , Aang got roped into giving a foot rub to Toph almost every night. At first, the Avatar really didn’t want to put up with the request ( _more like demand_ , Aang thought) because her feet were always dirty. But after a while, he got used to the routine and found himself enjoying the quiet moments before bed where they would talk about the work day or random topics that came to mind. Aang was actually getting good at giving foot rubs too, or so he thought…

“Twinkletoes, are you listening to me?” Toph kicked him with her free foot to get him out of his thoughts. Aang shook out of it and replied, “Sorry, T. I am now!”

Toph sighed, “I was _saying_ that Katara radioed me during lunch today. She was complaining about how the kids tore out all the flowers from the main gardens or something and Zuko just laughed and let them go play with the turtleducks or something. She was furious that Zuko wouldn’t punish them or and that she had to go do it. In the end, they didn’t even listen to _her_ , so now she’s trying to ground them.”

Aang laughed, “Really? Who would’ve thought Mr. Serious and Mrs. Sweetness would have such rascals for kids!”

“That’s what I said!” Toph put her hands over her head, “I’m also surprised Sparky is the one that is the ‘cool parent.’ I mean, I know Sugar Queen is the poster figure of a mother, but she seems like she would be so lovey dovey and not lay down the law.”

Aang shrugged, “I agree. But I stopped underestimating her ‘stern’ side a long time ago. She’s got the kindest soul, but if you mess with her, you get the saber-tooth-moose-lion horns.”

Toph gave a hearty laugh, “Yeah, I recall getting the horns once or twice before.”

Aang couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows at his wife, his voice matching his expression, “ _Only_ once or twice??”

Toph tossed her hand out as she replied, “Okay, okay, many times. But after two times, they start to blend together.” 

The couple laughed for a bit before Aang continued the topic, “It’s weird, too, that Sokka and Suki are the opposite of what I expected as parents. Like, I thought that Sokka would be super chill and act like another kid. But really, he’s the one who dishes out the rules.”

Toph scrunched her face, “I don’t know, all those itineraries during the war and the scheduled bathroom breaks make me think that he prefers a _very_ orderly home life.” Toph laughed, then added, “But yeah, if I had to pick between the two of them who was going to be the fun parent, I would’ve put my money on Sokka. Hands down.”

Aang silently nodded and became occupied by his thoughts. He started staring off at the corner of his bedroom wall when he decided to think aloud, “Strange how parenthood changed our friends.”

Toph shrugged, then let out a little sigh, “Yeah, but they’re not _that_ different, are they?”

Aang gave a shrug of his own, “Maybe? Hard to tell now that we don’t see them everyday, you know?”

Toph nodded her head in agreement. She began to get lost in her own thoughts and, dare she say, fears. Her personality and beliefs haven’t really changed since she was a teenager, so it was shocking to think that her friends would be attuned to change so… easily. It seemed impossible to Toph that something like a kid could change the way she perceived the world and how the world perceived her. 

“Do you think we’d change a lot?” Toph asked Aang quietly.

Aang turned his attention to Toph, “Hmm?”

“Do you think being parents will change us?”

Aang stopped massaging, then switched to begin rubbing the other foot, “I think you and I both know the kind of parents we want to be. Hard to say if we will change, but all that matters is that the kids would be happy. Don’t you think?”

Toph let out a shaky sigh, “Yeah. I guess you’re right,” She laid her head back on the pillows and tried to calm the nerves that were building up. Ever since Katara and Zuko had Izumi, the conversation about having children became more and more frequent. At first, the idea wasn’t terrible, but it certainly wasn’t a priority in Toph’s mind. To be frank, the idea was scary even back then. As the years went on and the number of children the group had increased, Toph’s fears and apprehension to the idea of parenthood only built to what it was today. 

Aang turned to look at his wife. He could see that she was getting lost in her own thoughts, and he knew that when she thought about one topic for too long, she broods. And when she broods, it led to a very moody Toph. Not fun.

He tried to pull her out of her thoughts by tugging on her foot that he finished rubbing, “Who knows. Maybe it’ll be super easy for us! If our kids turn out like you, I know you like the back of my hand!”

Toph opened her eyes and scoffed at her husband, “Oh _please_. You don’t know me _that_ well!”

“But it would be so fun to raise a little Toph!” Aang laughed, “She’d be all cranky, then when she wants something, she’d just give you the sweetest voice and face that makes you melt.”

“I don’t do that!”

“Sure you don’t, Toph…”

Toph kicked Aang playfully before replying, “You better hope the kids turn out like me, because if they’re anything like you, they’ll be flying around, knocking into stuff, not using their heads. Bunch of airheads… what a _nightmare_.” Toph gave a fake shudder at the thought of more airbenders. One was enough in Toph’s book.

Aang gave Toph a little laugh, “Well, I do hope our kids are all like you. Smart, loyal, headstrong, beautiful. It wouldn’t be so bad!” He started to crawl towards the head of the bed, but not before leaving a bunch of kisses on his wife’s enlarged abdomen and tickling her. Toph let out a few giggles before pulling Aang up for a kiss on the lips. When they parted, the two laughed for a moment and Toph gave a small sigh of relief. Aang placed his forehead on top of Toph’s head as she absentmindedly rubbed at the spot where the baby recently kicked. Aang noticed and placed his hand over hers, his voice just above a whisper, “I think we’ll be just fine, Toph.” 

It made Toph smile knowing that Aang always knew how to get her out of a mood. She couldn’t help but think of how lucky she was that she took a chance on him and taught him earthbending all those years ago. Looking at where they started and where they were now, Toph knew she would never find another that just _understood_ her and _accepted_ her difference of opinion. Aang was so patient and kind to everyone, especially Toph. And it warmed her heart to know that he would be the same with their own children and that his best qualities could be embodied in their baby. Toph turned her head up so that her forehead was touching Aang’s, and moved her hand to his cheek. “You know,” she began, “Having another airhead wouldn’t be so bad either.”


	2. New Routines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang and Toph adjust to their new routine with a new family member.
> 
> ~120 AG
> 
> Word Count: 1,302

“I was kind of hoping this would stop after Lin was born.” Aang sighed as he sat at the end of the bed rubbing Toph’s foot. The Beifong night time routine adjusted with the newest addition to the household; nowadays, Aang massaged his wife’s feet while she fed the baby, and the two waited until she was put to sleep before they ate or listened to their radio programs (which were all now reruns since they missed the airtime of the new episodes, but they suppose tending to their newborn beats listening to what happened next on _The Adventures of Rishu and Ren the Ostrich Horse_ ). 

Tonight was no different. Toph was sitting upright, feeding Lin when she quietly laughed at Aang’s comment, “Not a chance, Twinkletoes.”

“Why not?” He whined.

“For one, you actually enjoy giving foot rubs, you said so yourself! Two, we’ve got a routine going now. What would we do if we stopped? And three, you owe me _big time_ for giving birth to this melon of a kid.” She gave a small gesture to Lin, “Even Katara said Lin was a big baby!”

Aang just shook his head and chuckled. He was ready to continue arguing about the matter, but Aang was also racked with guilt about Lin’s birth. Both knew it would be a tough experience, and he certainly made things _worse_ by not being there because he was tending to Avatar duties (It’s a long story…). Knowing that a million foot rubs wouldn’t make them even close to even, but the next best thing, he relented. “Fine, you win. Foot rubs for life, or whatever.”

“I’m going to hold you to that, Baldy!”

“Toph,” Aang chided, “Do you have to use _all_ my nicknames in front of Linny?”

“As a matter of fact, I do, Twinkletoes. How else is she going to know who you are?!”

When Aang finished massaging Toph’s feet, he flopped down on the bed dramatically, “I can’t believe _you’re_ the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with!”

“I hear ya. Katara would’ve been way easier.” Toph teased. 

Aang sighed, then turned to look at his wife and baby. Toph lightly stroked Lin’s hair as she ate, and Aang just stared at the pair in awe. These two were his family, and it was impossible to imagine anyone else in Toph’s place, _that_ he was sure about. He smiled as he sat up and crawled up to where his wife and daughter were. Aang went to pat Lin’s back when Toph swatted away his hand.

“Don’t touch our daughter with your gross hands! Wash them.”

Aang scoffed at Toph’s demand, “What? You do know that I was just massaging _your_ gross feet!”

“And?”

“And since when do you care about being clean??”

“Don’t yell, you airhead!” Toph hissed, “I make no apologies for the state of cleanliness my feet are in, but I draw the line at you touching our baby with those grimy hands!”

Aang groaned as he rolled off the bed to wash his hands. When he returned, Toph was patting Lin’s back to prompt her to burp. Aang sat next to Toph and waited until Lin’s burping session was complete. 

He held out his clean hands pleadingly, “May I _please_ hold our daughter, now?”

Toph gave a smirk as she replied, “Knock yourself out.”

Aang gently cradled Lin and softly rubbed her cheek with his knuckle. Toph gave a small, content sigh as she leaned on her husband’s shoulder and played with Lin’s little foot. 

Aang, “Can you believe she’s ours?”

Toph let out a snort, “I have the scars to prove it if you need more evidence.”

“You know what I mean, T.”

“Yeah, I know. Feels like yesterday we found out I was pregnant.”

Aang looked at Lin. He knew his opinion was extremely biased considering this was his daughter, but he would be remiss if he didn’t say he thought that Lin was the most beautiful baby in the history of the universe. Her nose was like a little button, eyes as green as a spring meadow, perfectly proportional ears, and wisps of wavy black hair. A carbon copy of Toph, if Aang had any say in the matter. It made him wonder what her personality would be like in a few months, even years. He wondered what kind of sister she would be, and ended up thinking that last thought out loud.

Toph raised her head from its resting spot on Aang’s shoulder and asked incredulously, “What?” 

Aang blushed a bit and responded sheepishly, “Oh. I don’t know. I was just wondering what kind of sister Lin would be like. When, you know. The time comes.”

Toph barked out a laugh, “What? One’s not good enough for you? Already thinking about the future babies I have to make for you when there’s one perfectly good baby in front of you?”

Aang chuckled, “Oh c’mon, Toph. How can you not hold her and just melt!” He started rocking her dramatically and teased his wife, “I want a million more of her.”

Toph groaned when she heard this. The idea of more children didn’t scare her as much as it used to, but that didn’t mean Toph wanted to think about having another for a _long_ time. Plus, they were still riding the newborn honeymoon phase, and she worried about the imminent ‘new parent insecurities’ that would emerge soon. Instead of relaying that to Aang, she jabbed back, “Well if you’re carrying the rest of the million, we can certainly have a million more!”

Aang waved his free arm, “You know what I mean. I take one look at her and I just want more mini Tophs!”

Toph scoffed and settled back onto Aang’s shoulder, “Well, I’m impervious to her adorable looks. I guess you’ll just have to try and persuade me for more children, and I _know_ I can take you!”

Aang chuckled, “Impervious. What a fancy word! Who taught you that?”

“Zuko did back in the day. He knows a slew of fancy dancy words. Figured it would be useful to learn them since, you know, I married the Fancy Dancer.”

The two laughed, then let the comfortable silence fill the room. All their energy was focused on the tiny human in Aang’s arms. It was crazy to think that they would be responsible for how Lin grew up; sometimes the responsibility felt like it would be too much for the couple. But, they always broke out of their fears whenever Lin made a sound or moved or wrinkled her nose when they traced its outline. The two simply smiled and their hearts filled with so much pride and joy. 

Eventually, Toph broke the silence, “I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” Aang sighed. He didn’t want to move to make dinner, even though he was starving as well. Unfortunately, his stomach gave himself away by rumbling.

Toph laughed, “Sounds like your stomach agrees with me.”

Aang let out another sigh, “Here. You take her and I’ll make us some dinner.” 

When Aang reached the doorway, he looked back at his wife and daughter laying on the bed. Lin was sprawled out on top of Toph’s chest. The baby gave a little, audible yawn and Toph chuckled as she stroked the back of Lin’s back with her fingertips. It was certainly a sight to see, and Aang didn’t want to ever stop looking. 

Lucky for him, his wife was a hard ass that always found a way to get his butt in gear. 

“Hurry up, Twinkletoes, dinner won’t make itself!” She aimed her voice at the doorway and gave a little smirk. Aang sighed with content and turned out of the bedroom to make dinner. He could get used to this new routine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple things:
> 
> 1) Still not sure about format and stuff and I don't have anyone read these beforehand, so I apologize for the errors.  
> 2) I know nothing about child rearing or the do's and don'ts of taking care of a baby, so I tried to keep that stuff vague so I didn't mess up royally, but yeah. Feel free to correct me, I just went for situations that seemed cute.  
> 3) I might continue to post more one shots (though I think I set this up incorrectly in the beginning... yay). If you have suggestions or ideas, I'm not opposed to trying to write them out. But I'm not super motivated when it comes to writing, I just have a handful of these laying around in my notes!


	3. What's One More?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang and Toph have a silly and a serious conversation about expanding their family of five to six.
> 
> Mentions of sex, unplanned pregnancies, abortion, and explicit language.
> 
> ~129 AG
> 
> Word Count: 2,414

The morning began like any other, except this time around, it was _quiet_. Aang and Toph were away on a mission in Ba Sing Se, and the little offspring were off at their grandparent’s house. The mission itself was rather uneventful (the Earth King was a flighty man and thought that every mean correspondence was an assassination attempt), but that didn’t mean the couple wasn’t going to take advantage of the time away from their children. They haven’t had a proper sleep in _ages_ , and now was the perfect opportunity to rest up. After they retreated to the inn they were staying at that evening, the two collapsed onto the bed unceremoniously. 

It didn’t take long for Aang to realize that no kids meant they could also do other— ahem— _extracurricular activities_. Knowing Toph, he knew that she wouldn’t object, as long as she wasn’t asleep already. If she was asleep, then that was all they were doing that night. Aang noticed that Toph’s eyes were closed, but she didn’t _seem_ to be asleep yet. 

Aang snuggled up to Toph and kissed the back of her shoulder, “Isn’t this nice?” Toph simply grunted in response. Such a romantic, Aang’s wife was. He continued, “I can’t remember the last time we were _truly_ alone.”

Toph scoffed, “I’m pretty sure it was the night Lin was conceived.”

“Well, I guessed that much,” Aang smirked and pulled Toph closer to him, her backside flushed with his front. “Funny,” he began, “I was tired when we arrived at the inn, but now that we’re in bed, I can’t seem to fall asleep. Are you tired?”

The earthbender sighed. Toph was _just_ about to sleep, and now Aang wanted to start a conversation. “You’re not slick, Twinkletoes. If you want sex, all you have to do is _ask_.”

“What’s the fun in that?”

Toph pondered the question for a moment, then moved swiftly on top of him. “I suppose not as fun.” She smirked, then leaned down for a kiss.

….

“You know what I miss?”

Toph groaned. It was now the middle of the night and the airhead was still _awake_. Of course, Toph didn’t mind a sleepless night if it was filled with sex, but she could do without the pillow talk. The only two things Toph wanted to do tonight was _her husband_ and _sleep_. But it seemed like Aang had other thoughts mulling in his head, and he would only pester her until she replied. She responded sarcastically, “What, silence? Hard to meditate with three kids running around.”

Aang chuckled into Toph’s hair, “No. I miss feeling our babies kick you.” He teasingly rubbed her stomach.

Toph sat up and gave a nervous laugh, her tiredness evaporated. “What?” 

Aang rubbed the back of his head, “I don’t know. I miss seeing you pregnant, that’s all.”

Toph made a sound of disgust, “ _Please_ never say anything that _gross_ and mushy ever again! That was just horrible, I need to take a bath after that.” Her words stung Aang, but the pain subsided when she gave a small laugh. He decided to press on. 

“What, don’t you think it would be fun if we had another?”

Aang’s wife gave a heartier laugh this time, “No, Twinkletoes, I do _not_ miss being pregnant, or breastfeeding, or labor. All of that shit straight up sucks.”

“C’mon, _babe_ ,” Toph groaned at the pet name, “What’s one more baby?”

“Months of stretch marks and sleepless nights. I’m perfectly happy with just three kids running around.”

“Toph,” Aang whined, “Please??” He was just egging her on at this point, wrapping his arm around her waist and rubbing her stomach. 

Toph sighed and removed Aang’s arm from around her, “Seriously, Aang. I don’t think it’s a good idea that we have another kid.”

“Why not?” His voice matched his face, giving a fake pout, but Aang was genuinely curious to hear what Toph’s reasons were. Even though she was Aang’s wife, getting Toph to talk about feelings or her thoughts was still a rarity. Aang sat up so that they could have a more serious conversation, since that seemed to be the direction they were heading.

Toph sighed, “I don’t know. I just really don’t want another, and you and I are both getting older. Katara always talks about how pregnancies at our age are much riskier.”

Aang knitted his eyebrows, his voice matched his expression. “You talked to Katara about this?”

Toph waved her hand, “When we found out we were having Su.” She got up and began pacing around the room, trying to find the words to let her husband down lightly. Aang simply looked at her with a confused and concerned look.

Toph decided to let out all her excuses, “Listen, I know that you had your heart set on another baby, but all three of our kids were a surprise! I’m not sure I can handle another… plus, Gyatso is an airbender, so the whole _I need to have another child because I need to continue the line of airbenders_ is out.”

Aang gave a little sigh and tilted his head at his wife. Of course he wanted another baby, but he certainly didn’t have to deal with all the trials and tribulations that came with carrying the child. For selfish reasons, he wanted more children just because he loved the woman standing in front of him so much, and in some way their children were an extension of their love. Plus, they made _adorable_ babies. That was simply a fact at this point. But in this moment, all he wanted was to make Toph happy, and if that meant not having another baby, he was fine with that. So he stood up, grabbed her hand, and simply responded to his wife, “Okay.”

Toph raised her eyebrows, slightly taken aback by the simple response, “That’s it? No fighting over this?”

Aang couldn’t help but laugh, “Of course not, T. We have three _amazing_ kids. If you don’t want another, that’s fine with me. I had to fight back a little in the beginning, but now that I got it out of my system, we can move on.” He smiled as he saw relief pour into Toph’s eyes. “But,” he added, “I still think we should still… _engage_ … in the act of baby making.”

Toph barked out a laugh, “ _The act of baby making_? What are you, twelve, Twinkletoes?”

Aang smirked at his wife and lifted her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist, “Shut up.” 

“Make me.” Aang crashed his lips on hers before she could really finish that statement.

….

Toph knew something was up for a few days now; what convinced her was the morning she rushed out of bed to puke in their bathroom a few weeks after returning from their mission. The realization hit her like a boulder and she started panicking. _This wasn’t supposed to happen — we were_ careful! She thought. Aang floated to her side in a moment, rubbing circles in her back.

“Everything okay, Toph? What’s going on?” Aang was glad in this moment that Toph couldn’t see the worry in his eyes; she would never let him live it down if she actually saw it.

“What do you think is up?” Toph replied icily, Aang receiving the brunt of her frustration.

Aang took a moment to process everything. When he did, all he could say was, “Oh.”

Toph replied with a wicked laugh, “Yeah. _Oh_. We fucked up.” She sat with her back on the wall opposite the toilet, one hand covering her eyes, and the other resting on her propped up knees. How could she be so _stupid_? When she said she was done having children, she meant it! And now here they were, knocked up once again. Toph pushed her bangs out of her face, rested her head on her knees, and began to quietly sob. 

Seeing Toph like this frightened Aang to his core. He had only seen her cry and be this upset when she was first pregnant with Lin, and that was mainly out of fear and hormones. This breakdown seemed to be more out of anger than fear, and Aang had no idea how to comfort her. He settled with simply embracing his wife. He pulled her close to him, with her legs over his hips and had her rest her head on his shoulder as he continued to rub circles in her back. 

Despite the current circumstances, Aang couldn’t help but feel the difficult situation _he_ was in. On one hand, he was ecstatic at the prospect that Toph was pregnant. On the other, he knew she didn’t _want_ another baby, and it was a definite possibility that she would terminate the pregnancy. As a monk who believed that every life was precious, how could he justify the situation if they aborted? His heart broke at the thought, but he knew that on some level, it _could_ be the best scenario for his family. What if Toph resented the baby? What if the pregnancy was too complicated and killed them both? What if by not having the baby, Aang and Toph spent more time with the children they had? It seemed odd that by terminating the pregnancy that their family could be better and stronger, but it was a possibility that couldn’t be ignored.

What helped Aang mentally cope with the situation was that this decision was ultimately Toph’s. He knew she wouldn’t make a decision lightly, and that thought brought him some semblance of peace. Aang was also petrified at the idea of losing Toph if she did try to have the baby and it was a risky pregnancy. If he thought it would be hard living with the prospect of losing one life, the idea of losing _two_ lives was unthinkable to him.

At the end of the day, The family that was in front of him was what mattered the _most_. He took a deep breath, and offered some comforting words, “I’m so sorry, Toph. Just tell me when we should go see Katara, and I’ll call her, and we can terminate the pregnancy or talk about our options.”

Toph sniffled, then raised her head from his shoulder to face him, “What?” She turned her head so that one of her ears faced him so that she could hear him as clear as possible.

Aang stuttered a bit, but responded, “Well, I know you don’t want another baby, so I thought we could call Katara? Or any healer— doesn’t have to be her. To end the pregnancy, if that’s what you want.”

Toph rubbed her eyes and wiped the snot from her nose, “You,” she paused, a little perplexed that they were having this conversation, “You would do that for me?”

Aang knitted his eyebrows, thoroughly confused at this point, “Well, yeah. Isn’t that what you want?”

“I mean, I certainly didn’t want to have another baby. But I guess I’m just… surprised that you would be okay if we terminated the pregnancy.”

Her husband sighed, but gave an honest response like he always did, “Listen, _of course_ I would love to have this baby with you, but if you don’t want it, or if it’s not safe for you to carry it, then I don’t think we should have it. I love you and our kids. If that’s what you want, then we’ll go to the clinic to get this sorted out. I’m sorry I put you in this position in the first place.”

Now Toph was really speechless. Not only was Aang, _the_ most calm, life-loving, pacifist monk suggesting that they get an abortion shocking to Toph, but the fact that he was _apologizing_ just threw her completely.

“You will seriously come with me and end this pregnancy? I mean, you wouldn’t even kill the _Fire Lord_ for Spirits sake, Aang!”

“Well, yes. But that was a decision I made for myself! This is up to you, T. I don’t have to go through the hardships you have to with the pregnancy, and if it’s a risky one, that terrifies me. All I can do is support you, whatever you choose. And either way, I love you. Nothing will change that.”

Toph couldn’t help but tear up at his declarations. The stupid hormones were already kicking in, and she tried to contain herself by slamming her head back into Aang’s shoulder. He continued saying all the right things, “Should I call Katara? We could get this resolved today if you want.”

As much as the thought of another baby scared her, Toph loved her selfless husband _so much_ that it irked her. And even though this baby wasn’t planned like the rest of them, she knew deep down what they were going to do and replied, “No,” She kissed the crook of Aang’s neck, “What’s one more?”

“Wait, what?” Aang pushed Toph off his shoulder so he could look at her, “What did you say?”

Toph started to casually wipe the tears from her eyes as she said, “Well, we _should_ call Katara to make sure we can carry to term. But, we already have three kids. What’s one more?” She gave her husband a small smile. 

“But Toph,” Aang started, “Please don’t have this baby for _me_. I don’t want to push you into doing something just because I want it!”

Toph had the audacity to scoff, “Oh please, Aang. Since when have I ever done something that I didn’t choose to do? Even you can’t make me do anything I don’t want to do! Besides,” Toph laced her hands around the back of her husband’s neck, “We make some pretty cute babies.”

Aang couldn’t help but smile at his selfless wife. He loved her _so much_ it hurt him. “You really want to have this baby?” Aang asked.

“Not gonna lie, this is gonna _suck_ , but I could never willingly get rid of one of our babies.”

“Listen, I will be by your side the _entire_ time! You can berate me, hit me, everything! I deserve it, for putting you in this position.” Aang took Toph’s face in his hands and looked into her teary-eyed, puffy, _beautiful_ face, “I will spend the rest of my life and the next making it up to you.”

Toph pulled Aang in for a kiss. When they parted, she smirked, “I’m going to hold you to that, Twinkletoes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I'm honest, this story is more of a setup, and I have a feeling there are flaws in the conversation/characterization of the two. It could also probably be expanded on, but I struggled to write all this down and didn't have the energy to think even more about it lol. But, figured I'd post it still and am open to critiques! 
> 
> There's a bit of time-skipping around in the stories, but the flow *kind of* makes sense to me, so figured I'd just post the stories as I wrote them/labeled them.


	4. A Typical Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somewhat of a continuation of last chapter. 
> 
> It's a nice day in Republic City, and Toph spends the day outside with Suyin while the whole Beifong family prepares for their newest addition.
> 
> ~129/130 AG
> 
> Word Count: 2,181

It was a beautiful spring day in Republic City. The kind of day that made everyone go outside to relinquish their cabin fever and spend the entire day outside. Toph Beifong was like everyone else today and spent all morning and afternoon out in her backyard. She was sitting comfortably (well, as comfortably as she _could_ ) on the ground. One leg propped up with the other stretched out, an arm resting on her growing stomach and the other on the ground watching her youngest, Suyin, run around the yard trying to catch beetle-butterflies. She even earthbent a small wall to lean back on to get the full lounging experience on this beautiful day. 

Ever since they found out Toph was pregnant for the fourth time, everyone demanded that she take it easy. At 42 years old, Toph was considered a “risky” candidate to be pregnant, and if Toph could roll her eyes, she would’ve. Aang asked ( _more like forced_ , Toph thought) her to take a leave of absence the second she started showing, and Katara practically lived at their home. It annoyed Toph to the Spirit World and back that everyone was making such a big deal out of this, but deep down, she knew it was for the best… which was why she was sitting in her backyard with Su right now. She thought it would be nice to have company while on leave, so Aang and Toph pulled Suyin out of daycare for the time being (Toph wasn’t opposed to having all the little rascals at home, but Lin and Gyatso had school, and there was no way around that). It was good for Toph to have things to do around the house, otherwise, she would probably just be eating everything in the kitchen and sleeping all day. But Aang made her promise that if Suyin became too much work, that they would put her back in daycare right away. 

Suyin was giggling and running around in circles in the yard, and Toph laughed at the amount of energy she had. Her daughter certainly got that from Aang. It wasn’t even midday, and Toph was ready for an afternoon snooze.

“Su, c’mere!” Toph called out. Suyin obliged and skipped over to Toph and sat between her legs. 

“Were you playing with the beetle-butterflies?” Toph asked.

“Yeah! I was flying with them.” Suyin responded simply.

“You don’t say? Now tell me,” Toph grabbed the meteor bracelet on her arm and formed a random shape, “Is this what a beetle-butterfly looks like?” 

Suyin giggled, “No, Mama! That’s a square.”

“Hmm,” Toph pretended to think as she bent the next shape, “Is _this_ what a beetle-butterfly looks like?”

“No!” Suyin stood up to get a better look at the shape, “That’s a triangle.”

The two played the Shape Game for a few more rounds, until Suyin was too smart for her own good. 

“Here, Mama. This is what a beetle-butterfly looks like.” Suyin began tracing the outline of the beetle-butterfly on her belly. Toph smirked at Su’s cleverness and obliged by making the _right_ shape for the animal.

“There. Did I get it?” Toph asked.

“Yes! That’s who I was flying with. They fly around like Daddy and Gyatso.” Suyin crawled out from between Toph’s legs to lean on her from the side.

Toph chuckled and put an arm around her youngest, “Sounds fun and tiring.”

“Yeah. I have to rest before I fly again.”

“Gotcha. You need to go inside to rest?”

“No, Mama. It’s so nice outside.” Suyin curled closer to Toph, and the two sat there silently and enjoying the nice weather for a few moments. Toph secretly relished having so much time to spend with Suyin. It felt like an opportunity to bond with at least one of her children before the baby came. She would be lying if she said she didn’t worry about being a good parent still. There was always work to be done, cities to be saved, and social events to attend that sometimes made Toph feel like she didn’t even spend time with her kids at all. So to have a moment in time where she was essentially forced to be present in her children’s lives, she perceived it as a blessing.

When Suyin regained her energy, she began stirring in her seated position and looked at her mother. Her eyes naturally fell to the swell of her mom’s belly, and wasn’t sure what to make of it. Suyin’s siblings always talked about having another brother or sister, but the idea was still lost on the three-year-old. She recalled hearing Lin talk about how the baby was in Mama’s stomach, but that seemed like such a _weird_ place to put a baby!

Suyin sat on her knees and pressed her hands on Toph’s stomach, “Mama, is there really a baby in your tummy?”

“Yeah, kiddo.”

“Am I getting a baby brother or sister?”

“Not sure, baby.” She responded as she patted Suyin’s curly hair. Toph knew the gender of the baby like she did with the others, but was _sworn_ to secrecy by Aang and Lin after the whole gender pronoun debacle with Gyatso back in the day. 

“But why is the baby in your tummy?”

Toph wrinkled her nose, trying to come up with a three-year-old friendly answer. “Uh, because I put it there.”

If Toph could see, she would’ve seen her daughter’s eyes widen like saucers, “Do you have a pouch like a rabbaroo?” Suyin asked in awe and disbelief.

Suyin’s mother guffawed and said, “Sure, _just_ like a rabbaroo.”

The three-year-old was dumbstruck, “Woah.” Suyin pressed her hands and ear to Toph’s stomach. When the baby kicked, Suyin jerked back and exclaimed, “Was that the baby??”

Toph chuckled, “Yeah, Su. That was the baby. This one likes to kick a lot.” 

Suyin looked at her mother as she shifted in her seated position. She rubbed the side of her stomach furthest from Suyin and had a small expression of discomfort etched on her face. Suyin was still too curious about her baby sibling that she kept prattling off questions.

“What will the baby look like?”

“What’s its name going to be?”

“Will it be an airbender or earthbender?”

“When is the baby coming?”

Toph gave a small laugh as she slowly got up from her seated position and began giving straight answers to her youngest daughter.

“Not sure, probably like dad and me.”

“We’ll name the baby when he or she comes.”

“No idea, kiddo. Could be a nonbender for all we know.”

“Soon, but not soon enough,” She teased at the last part, but the joke passed over Suyin’s head. 

Suyin let out a small huff, “Do you know any of the answers about the baby?”

Toph chuckled and bent down a little, “You’ll know when I know, Little Badgermole.” Toph poked her daughter’s little nose.

If Aang or Katara were here, they would certainly scold Toph for picking up Suyin, but lucky for Toph, neither were present. Besides, Suyin was a light kid, and Toph had no trouble picking her up, “C’mon, kid. Let’s get something to eat.” Suyin placed her hands around her Mama’s neck as she was carried inside the house.

...... 

In the early evening, Aang arrived back at the house with Lin and Gyatso in tow and witnessed the most adorable back-and-forth encounter between his wife and youngest daughter.

When he entered, he saw Toph smirking at a giggling Suyin, who was sitting on the kitchen counter reaching for something in Toph’s hand. 

Toph playfully shouted at Suyin and pointed at the chocolate bar in her hand, “These are mine!”

“No, Mama! I want one!”

“But you just had one.”

“Pleaseeeee?”

Toph sighed and was just about to place a piece of chocolate on Su’s tongue, when she quickly popped the piece into her own mouth. Suyin fell into a fit of laughter as she complained, “Mamaaa! That was _mine_!” 

Toph scoffed, “I bought the chocolate, you little gremlin!” Suyin giggled at the nickname and because her mother was tickling her stomach. Toph eventually complied to her daughter’s plea and tossed a piece of chocolate into her mouth, “No more this time. You’ll spoil dinner.” Toph folded the excess wrapper over the remnants of the chocolate bar and tossed it on the kitchen counter.

“And,” Aang interrupted, “I’m pretty sure someone needs a rest from all this excitement.” He kissed Suyin and Toph before picking up a growing weary Su. “How was your day?” Aang asked Toph.

Toph shrugged and replied in a mocking voice, “Good. Nothing new to report, Mr. Avatar, sir.” 

Aang only chuckled as he carried Su to her bedroom. When he left, Toph focused her attention to her older children, “How was your day, kiddos?” She ruffled Gyatso’s hair and rubbed the back of Lin’s neck.

“Good,” Lin replied, “But Dad says we can’t go out to train until after we finish our homework.”

Toph squinted down at the table filled with papers, “Looks finished to me!”

“But Mama, you _can’t_ see.” Gyatso replied.

“Exactly, kid.” She attempted to give her kids a wink as they giggled, and ventured into the kitchen where Aang returned. He started working on dinner right after he set Suyin down for quiet time. Toph leaned back on the kitchen counter, and Aang pressed a kiss on her forehead. She hummed in satisfaction, then asked, “How was your day?”

“Good,” He responded, “I told the council it would be my last day until the baby comes.” And gently put a hand to Toph’s enlarged abdomen, “Don’t want another _Lin’s birth_ situation on our hands.” Aang would never forgive himself for that, but that event and those thoughts were for another day.

Toph laughed as she placed a hand over her husband’s, “Yeah, if you did _that_ to me again, I would most certainly kill you.”

Aang smiled and gave his wife a small peck on the cheek before returning to dinner preparation. He turned back to her and asked, “Are you feeling alright?”

Toph shrugged as she placed her hands behind her on the counter, “Yeah, I’m always tired, but that’s just because we’re nearing the end. I’m just ready for it to be over.”

“I know,” Aang acknowledged, “But don’t forget to take a moment and appreciate the miracle of life!”

“Oh yeah, I’m having a blast over here making the kid’s liver and having it press on my bladder.” She snarked. 

“C’mon, Toph. Don’t tell me that it’s all bad!”

“You wanna give it a go? Be my guest!” She teased Aang. There were actually a few things Toph enjoyed about being pregnant, but she certainly wasn’t going to let Aang know that. The man was always trying to look on the bright side of things, but Toph liked complaining a little too much at this point. “Every single one of our kids was a little spirit demon to carry.” 

“Well, we know they get that from _your_ side of the family.” Aang jabbed back. For that, he promptly received a pebble to the forehead that made him yelp.

“And we know they get their twinkly sensitivity from _your_ side.” She had a mischievous grin on her face as she turned her attention to the chocolate bar from earlier. Toph began breaking off pieces to eat when Aang exclaimed, “Hey! Don’t spoil _your_ dinner!”

“No can do, Baldy.” She replied. “ _I_ don’t want the chocolate. _The baby_ wants chocolate. You going to deprive your unborn child of the food it craves?”

Aang sighed. Whenever the baby wanted or needed something, it was a losing battle for the Avatar. And there were a lot of battles he had been losing recently. “I’ll be glad when the baby is here because that means you can’t use your pregnancy against our battles.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Twinkletoes.” Toph commented. “Technically, you have a whole laundry list of things you owe me _big time_ for. Giving birth to _four_ kids for you? Yeah, you’ll be in my debt for a while.”

The airbender was about to protest when their oldest yelled out, “Mama! I finished my work, can you help me with that one form from last week?”

Toph replied with a mouthful of chocolate. “Sure thing, Pebbles. I’ll be out there in a minute.” 

Lin ran out into the yard, and Toph chuckled at the sound of her scampering feet. She pushed herself off the counter, chocolate bar in hand, and began to walk out to the yard.

Before she left the kitchen, she gave Aang a quick kiss on the lips. That meant that the banter was on hold, but would promptly resume when the practice session was complete and dinner was served. After all, it wouldn’t have been a day in the life in the Beifong household if banter wasn’t said, complaints weren’t made, and rocks weren’t thrown.

Aang noted to himself that it was another typical day for the Beifong family, but that was what made it a beautiful one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that most of these early chapters are like, just about the Beifong's growing family lol. I guess it was my way of setting everything up, then I'll hop around in time. I'll try to denote the year/timeline in the summary, just have to get myself organized to do that. 
> 
> If there are specific stories/prompts you want me to write about, I'd be down to give it a go (although it might be a while before it gets uploaded... we'll see). 
> 
> As always, comments/suggestions for improvement are welcome!


	5. Triple Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gaang decides to go on a triple date. Nothing can go wrong... Right?
> 
> ~110 AG
> 
> Minor mentions of Zutara and Sukka.
> 
> Word Count: 2,322

When Toph and Aang first started dating, the group thought it would be fun to have a date night together. A triple date! What a great idea.

Boy, were they wrong. 

To start, Katara and Sokka argued for _hours_ on where they should go for date night. Sokka was adamant that a fun night out in the town was the only way to ‘triple date it up.’ Katara insisted that they find a nice restaurant and play games at home. Aang and Suki watched the fighting and remained neutral parties, while Toph and Zuko placed bets on who would win (a proper girls vs. boys bet). At a certain point, Aang tried to reach a compromise between the sparring siblings, but promptly abandoned his efforts when the two nearly ripped his head off. Alas, Sokka and Katara fought and fought until Katara got her way, which everyone was happy about, except Sokka and Zuko (also, the fact that Zuko _doubted_ his girlfriend’s ability to win the fight was a dumb move on his part. But that was neither here nor there). 

So, the group embarked on their triple date one Friday evening. Katara found a quiet and quaint restaurant near the Ember Island house and made a reservation for six. Aang and Toph spent the day out in the town and requested that the rest of the group meet up with them at the restaurant, so Katara, Zuko, Sokka, and Suki waited at the restaurant for the new couple.

After 20 minutes and a round of drinks, Katara became a little antsy. _Where were those two??_ She thought. It wasn’t _abnormal_ that they were off doing who knew what, but they knew about the triple date ahead of time! 

Just as Katara was about to say something to the group, Zuko nudged her, “Here comes Trouble and her sidekick.”

Katara turned and immediately groaned. The two looked a mess: Dirt covered nearly every inch of their hands and feet, and they decided that wearing obnoxious outfits to a fancy restaurant would be appropriate. Toph had what looked like an eyepatch on, and Aang had a wig on that rivaled King Bumi’s unruly hair. Katara sighed; she feared she made a mistake trying to get the six of them to go out together and thinking that they would all be _civil_. 

The two clumsily sat down, and Suki asked, “What’s with the eyepatch, Toph?”

“Her character's backstory is that she got poked in the eye by a thief and now she can’t see out of it.” Aang casually explained.

“Toph, you’re _blind_. You can’t see with your eyes. At all.” Katara stated.

Toph gasped, “Oh _Spirits_. You’re right, Sugar Queen!” She began to pat around the table, knocking her hands into the place settings. “Sparky is that you?" She began patting his face from across the table and Katara. "I can _feel_ the gloom from here.”

“Okay, very funny, you guys.” Katara interrupted. “Can we just have a nice dinner and maybe a drink or two?”

Toph ripped her eyepatch off and gave a mischievous grin in the direction of her friend, “Excellent idea, Sugar Queen.” She then turned toward the bar and yelled, “Barkeep! A round of cactus juice for our table, _pronto_!”

Sokka slammed a hand to the table and proudly pointed to Toph, “That’s my best friend, everyone!” 

Aang sulked, “I thought I was your best friend, Sokka!”

Sokka shrugged, “You are, unless there are drinks involved. Then it’s Toph. Sorry, buddy.”

“Hey guys!” Katara interrupted. “Let’s keep the _drinking_ part of dinner at a minimum, okay? We’re at a nice place, we don’t want to turn heads.”

“Of course, Katara. We’ll be respectful!” Aang replied.

“Okay, great.” Katara breathed a small sigh of relief. If Aang was on her side, that was (hopefully) a good sign. She continued, “This is exciting, you guys! We’re on a triple date!” She nudged Zuko for support.

Zuko jumped, but replied, “Uh yeah! Triple date. Dating it up. Date night.”

Sokka and Suki shook their heads, Aang gave a thumbs up for support, and Toph elegantly replied, “Glad to hear Fire Lord Sparky is still fucking awkward as ever.”

For that, she received a good shove from her boyfriend. But after, Triple Date Night was a smashing success and everyone had the grandest of times.

Just kidding.

Everything _started_ fine, then Toph and Sokka demanded another round of drinks (but not cactus juice, Katara put a stop to that immediately). But Toph and Sokka started arguing about who the best Earth Rumble fighter was (sans present company), Aang and Zuko talked about the political climate of the Fire Nation, and Suki and Katara were simply in the middle of the loud conversations. At some point, Katara whined for her brother to shut up, and in his buzzed state, he began arguing with her about her relationship with Zuko (Sokka was mostly fine with their relationship, considering they’d been together for a few years. But whenever he has more than a cup of cactus juice, his stupid brotherly tendencies show up). _Then_ the siblings started arguing loudly; Aang, Suki, and Zuko tried to calm them down; and Toph yelled and egged everyone on.

Needless to say, the group did not make it to the main course before they were politely asked to quiet down or leave. And when Sokka exclaimed that they were being polite and proper in his best Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se accent, they were promptly escorted out of the establishment.

So, everyone sulked back to the house as Suki gave her boyfriend a stern conversation about restaurant etiquette while tipsy, and Sokka tried to defend his actions stating that if they went with _his_ plan, they would not have gotten kicked out. Eventually, they made it back to the house in one piece and the group made their way to the main living room that had the rest of the Triple Date activities laid out. Katara had housekeepers set aside blankets and pillows for the group to sit on, as well as some traditional games that they could play until morning. As Katara set up the game room, Suki noticed a certain couple was missing in action.

“Wait, where’s Aang and Toph?” Suki asked.

“Yeah! I thought they were behind us.” Sokka recalled. He then wiggled his eyebrows, “You know, this looks like a job for—”

“—Don’t even _think_ about it, Sokka.” Katara grumbled. As much as she wanted Toph and Aang to be there for the game portion of date night, she worried that trying to _find_ them would take longer than if they just played games with Sokka and Suki (and Sokka was sobering up, so he wasn’t _as bad_ of company as he was earlier). Triple date night seemed to be a bust, but at the very least, they could make double date night work. She pushed past the fact that this was all for Aang and Toph, and proceeded with date night by preparing the games she set aside.

Little did the group know, Aang and Toph snuck out of the presence of the other couples to walk around the town at night. They found a bar that played music, and they jumped on the opportunity for a fancy-dancy dance session. Aang wiggled his eyebrows as well as his voice, “What do you say, T? Care to get a lesson from the Fancy Dancer?”

“With your Twinkly Toes leading? I _guess_ , if I don’t have any other choice.” She snarked. 

But after a few jabs and sassy remarks, the couple strutted to the center of the dance floor and twirled and flew and danced the night away. Aang led with an airy grace, and Toph followed with sure steps and improvised moves at an even tempo.

When the bar closed, they walked through the streets, talking, sassing, snarking, and everything in between. The couple made their way to the edge of the island and had a skipping stone contest, which almost became a heated earthbending match after Aang teasingly accused Toph of earthbending the stone. “ _You’re_ complaining that I’m the cheat?! Says the guy who literally airbended me out of the _Earth Rumble_ Ring, an _earthbending_ contest!”

“Oh my Spirits, Toph. That was ages ago! You’re still mad about that?”

Toph crossed her arms, “The wound is as fresh today as it was back then.”

“If that’s the case, someone is more sensitive than they let on!” Aang nudged her elbow with his.

“Take that back, Twinkletoes!” She roared.

Aang laughed, “Shh, Toph! We don’t wanna wake up the whole island!” 

“Fine.” Toph grumbled, then yawned. “What time is it, anyway? Should we head back?”

Aang shrugged. “Not sure the time, but there is something I want to do. If you’re okay staying up all night, that is.”

Toph raised an eyebrow, a sly smile growing on her face. “I like the sound of this, Twinkletoes.”

The airbender laughed, “No, Toph! Something _else_ that requires us to stay up.”

Toph huffed and wallowed for a second, then replied, “I guess. Where to, Baldy?”

Aang led his girlfriend up onto the roof of a nearby building. The view was perfect for the Avatar’s plan. There was a clear picture of the eastern sky, a nighttime breeze that was slowly coming to an end, and the sound of the calm waves rolling across the beach. Aang made sure not to say any of this out loud. Such a romantic scene would cause the earthbender to groan and complain to no end.

“What are we doing up here, Twinkletoes?” Toph asked.

“I want to watch the sunrise, and thought it would be fun to do it together!”

“Oh, yes. So much fun.” Toph deadpanned. She laid back on the tiles of the roof and put her hands behind her head. “Let me know when it’s over.”

“C’mon, Toph, it’ll be fun! Trust me.”

Toph stayed silent, mainly because she still had her doubts about Aang’s 'great' activity. Aang was a sweet guy, but there were still some things that just went over his head. It made it somewhat frustrating for Toph to have to let him down gently and tell him that ‘no, watching the sunrise isn’t a fun activity for a blind person.’ Luckily, Aang typically bounced back quickly from any stint of embarrassment. So, she laid there, preparing a barrage of the perfect insults for her boyfriend when he realized the obvious.

But, Aang interrupted her thoughts just then. “Toph, sit up. It’s starting.” 

The earthbender sighed, but sat up next to Aang. Aang then began talking, “Okay. So you know how sometimes we go to Iroh’s tea shop and there are tons of customers in the shop and they all order different flavors of tea?” Toph nodded, and Aang continued, “Think of a sunrise like the different smells in the tea shop. A sunrise is made up of many different colors, stacked and blended together. The tea flavors are like the different colors. Each smell is distinct, but at a certain point, it blends slightly with another cup of tea until your nose is overcome by the new flavor. Put them all together, and you have the tea shop! Or, the sunrise, in this case. Layers and layers of flavor and color that come together for one experience.” 

Aang looked over at Toph, and saw a blank expression, and he began to worry that he messed up. “Does that make sense? Or am I just rambling? Toph? Oh, boy, I messed this up, this was stupid, I should’ve—” Aang was interrupted from finishing his thoughts with Toph’s lips. She forcefully pulled him towards her, but Toph’s lips were soft and tender on his. 

When they parted, Toph had a small smile on her face and she was blushing. Not many successfully described colors to her, but for some reason, Toph knew exactly what Aang was describing, and felt the warmth of the sunrise consume her in a way that it hadn’t before. Toph wasn’t sure if it was the description or the company that lended to this new sensation, but whatever it was, she intended to keep the feeling close to her. She whispered to him, “It makes sense, Twinkletoes.”

Aang grinned from ear to ear, “Good. Because when I see a sunrise, all I think of is the warmth and the colors of my life, and I always think of you.”

Toph laughed, “Don’t get all mushy and gross on me, Twinkletoes.” 

He chuckled, then lightly placed his forehead on hers, “I can’t help it, T. You add warmth and color to my life.”

Before Toph could complain at his _sweet_ comments, Aang kissed her fervently. She responded with the same passion and force, wrapping her forearm behind his neck. Their relationship was new, and they weren’t often vulnerable and forthcoming with showing their feelings to their friends. It was scary, being a new couple and laying their emotions and thoughts so openly to each other. But the silent, serene morning as well as the change of pace the island brought allowed the couple to trust each other completely, even at such an early stage in their relationship. 

After a moment, Toph pulled away, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Aang tried to reconnect, but Toph playfully scolded him, “I’m _trying_ to watch the sunrise, Twinkletoes. Our makeout session will have to wait.” Her boyfriend gave a playful groan in return, and Toph laughed. “So,” she pecked at his lips teasingly, “What tea flavors in Iroh’s shop make up this so-called sunrise?”

The airbender let out a laugh and pulled Toph into his lap, “I’m glad you asked.” Aang proceeded to describe the colors of the sunrise as flavors of tea, and the two enjoyed experiencing the sunrise in their own special way. Triple date night turned out to be more successful than the two originally thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another fluffy Taang story. It was a bit last minute (I planned on posting a different story, but it didn't fit the Post-Valentine's Day vibe, so I wrote this in like... an hour), however, I think it still gets the job done lol. Let me know what you think!


	6. If He Had To Choose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang and Toph argue about Aang's responsibilities.
> 
> ~120/121 AG
> 
> Word Count: 1,835

It was nearing midnight, and Aang crept into the house, trying not to wake anyone up, but _hoping_ that his family would just be up, ready to greet him. 

He was overjoyed to see Toph sitting on the couch, waiting for him. Aang ran over to her and lifted her up into the biggest armadillo bear hug that he could give her. Toph returned the hug, but with much less gusto; Aang attributed it to the late hour, and kissed her. “Hi there. I missed you!” He grinned ear to ear at the sight of her.

Toph gave a small, tired smile when Aang set her down and she replied, “I missed you too. You’ve been gone a while.”

Aang sighed, “I know. I’m so sorry about that. The conflict between some of the colonies dragged on. We just couldn’t come up with a compromise. The trip kind of ended up as a lost cause, unfortunately.”

His wife winced a bit, “Sorry to hear that.”

The airbender waved his hand, “It’s okay. You can’t win every battle, I guess.” He paused, a little concerned seeing Toph’s face become paler than usual, “Is everything okay? How’s our baby girl?”

Toph gave a nonchalant shrug, “Everything’s okay. Lin’s asleep.”

Aang turned his head toward the nursery and perked up, “Asleep? How can she be asleep when Dad’s home!” He began to walk toward his daughter’s bedroom. But Toph stood in front of the doorway, “No, please, Aang.” Aang hesitated and was perplexed. Toph filled those three words with exhaustion, desperation, and most of all, frustration. “She’s been crying for the past three days. I don’t want you to wake her up.” Toph aimed her face so well that it _looked_ like she was looking straight at him.

“But I haven’t seen her in almost three weeks!” He tried to give her reassuring words by saying, “I promise to put her back to sleep if—”

“—And whose fault is that?!” Her voice was quiet, but her whispered yell sent shivers down Aang’s spine.

“I’m… Toph, are you mad at me?” His voice rising at the accusation. Did she really think that Aang wanted to be away? It was his responsibility as the Avatar to step in during diplomatic disputes and to _travel_ if the mission called for it. She knew that better than anyone else.

When he raised his voice, Toph flinched and grabbed him by his tunic and dragged him outside, “You wanna yell? Fine.” She pushed him out into the backyard and stood by the door with it cracked open. 

Aang stumbled a bit and looked at Toph with frustration, “Are we just going to let Lin lay inside while we’re having it out?”

Toph crossed her arms, not budging, “I can feel her just fine from here.”

Aang sighed, “Toph, I’m exhausted. Let’s just go to bed and talk about this in the morning.”

“That’s the problem! There’s never a _right_ time to talk about this! You’re either playing with Lin, off on a mission, or too tired.”

“Fine! Let’s talk. What do you have to say to me?”

“ _Aang,_ ” He looked right at her and saw she was not messing around. Aang waited for her to say what she needed to say.

Toph took a deep breath. Communication was never a strong suit for Toph, and she really needed Aang to understand the message. When she gathered her thoughts, she began by saying, “You _knew_ how I felt about having kids. And now that we have one, you’re barely here!”

“This isn’t by choice, Toph!” Aang yelled, “You think I want to have to deal with all this? Being the Avatar is my _duty_ to the world!”

“And what about your duty to us? To Lin?” Toph demanded.

“Toph, that’s unfair and you know it.” He confided in her long ago about his need to not be tied to the earth. It was by far his least favorite part about being the Avatar, but leaving his family for his duty came in as a close second.

Toph took a deep breath and closed her eyes, “You _promised_ that this trip would only be five days.” She opened her eyes and pointed her face towards him, “And you show up _three weeks_ later as if nothing happened and that it’s okay to be gone that long without a word!”

“How was I supposed to communicate with you? Not like I could send a messenger hawk!”

“Do you think I work only with blind people?! I could have had someone help me _read it_.” Aang groaned and turned around. Toph took a step towards him.

“Aang,” she began again, and Aang turned his head. “I understand that you have to go and deal with all this Avatar shit. I know what I got myself into.

“But I’ve been losing my _mind_ here! I’m terrified every second of every day. Having a kid and making the same mistakes my parents made? It eats me alive!”

Aang shook his head in disbelief and faced her. “You don’t tell me these things! How was I supposed to know—”

“—I told you the _second_ after I told you I was pregnant!”

“And you haven’t mentioned it since!” Aang countered. “You tell it to me, we have a conversation, and it’s over with.

“Toph, you’re _amazing_ with Lin! I thought you were comfortable being alone with her, that’s the only reason I started taking on my Avatar duties again! You don’t _tell me_ how you feel!”

“Because those feelings haven’t changed!” She argued, “Excuse me if I don’t feel the need to give you a feelings report every hour!”

“I’m not asking for an hourly report, Toph,” He said coolly, “All I want is for you to be _honest_ with me and tell me how you feel every once in a while! Is that really too much to ask?”

“I have told you every single fear, opinion, and idea I’ve ever had. I have no secrets with you, Aang. 

“You have known from the _start_ of our relationship that I was never comfortable having kids. But I love you and you reassured me that we would be _fine_ and I believed you! I still do.

“And now we have a beautiful baby girl, and there are moments where I feel like I’m alone in raising her! You were even gone for her fucking _birth_ , Aang.”

Aang stood there, mouth agape. He was furious and yelled, “And that was not by choice! I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, but again, I had a duty—”

“—Duty to the world, yes I know.” She waved his comment off and sighed.

“I don’t have to stand here and listen to this.” He turned to walk away, but Toph ran to him and yanked him back around, “Don’t run away from this, Aang!”

He scowled at the innuendo, and decided to stand his ground. He towered over his wife, ready for the onslaught of accusations and ridiculous arguments, but when he saw that she began to wilt in front of him, he relaxed a little. Aang wasn’t sure if Toph’s demeanor change was from exhaustion or sadness, but he knew that neither were a good sign.

Toph took a deep breath and lowered her head as she whispered, “You’ve been making promises that you can’t keep. That’s what hurts the most.”

“I never—”

“—Yes you do, Aang.” She tilted her head so that her eyes were at his chest and she put her hands on it, “You promised that you will be there for the birth, and you were not.” 

Aang was about to protest, but she tensed her hands on his chest, “And I’m not mad at you for that anymore. But you _did_ promise me.

“You promised that you would be back home in a week, and you weren’t.

“You promised that you would help me be a good parent, and everyday you’re gone, I second guess myself more and more.” 

Aang looked at his wife and saw the pain in her eyes. She wasn’t holding back her tears.

Toph stepped away from Aang and towards the door. She took a deep breath and said, “Listen Aang, I know your duty is to the world. I’m not asking you to step away. But I _need_ you to stop making promises you can’t keep.

“If this is all too much, I understand. We got married fast and—”

Aang took a step toward Toph, “Are you questioning our marriage now, Toph?? Did you not want to get married?!”

Toph gave Aang an incredulous look, “Of course I wanted to marry you! But we got married as a _joke_! I don’t regret anything, but it's not like we really thought everything through.” She let out a sigh and continued, “If you can’t commit to both, Lin and I will manage on our own. But I can’t keep _thinking_ that you will be back any day now, and you’re not. It terrifies me every night I sleep alone knowing that you _should’ve_ been back by now. 

“Just,” she began, her voice filled with despair. “Please figure out what you are able to give to us, even if it’s nothing at all.” 

She didn’t wait for his reply and walked back into the house.

Aang rubbed his face, hoping that it would stop the frustrated tears from falling. He began to take a walk around their property, properly brooding and thinking about what his wife had told him. He was trying to be there for his family _and_ the world! Didn’t she know how hard this was for _him_? How was he supposed to choose?

He sat down on the ground and considered the options Toph laid out in front of him. The answer to his issue was pretty clear: Stop making promises that he couldn’t keep. But, how was Aang supposed to know what promises he _could_ keep? Aang now had two huge responsibilities that fell on his shoulders, and he sat there in his yard, petrified. The airbender was never the best at taking on the problems that were in front of him, it was just part of his personality. He would much rather avoid conflicts and problems in favor of compromise and harmony. 

The problem was, how does the Avatar create a compromise between his life as the bridge between the physical world and the spiritual world and his life as a husband and parent? Both responsibilities do not allow for compromise or leeway, and Aang was afraid of making a choice between the two. Or worse, choosing one responsibility over the other and making a _grave_ mistake. His head and heart were battling each other, and he could not hold back the hot tears of fury, tiredness, and despair. As he choked on his sobs, he hoped that he could find a way to commit to both. To find a way around this mountain.

Because if he had to choose one life, _everyone_ would lose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was my attempt at serious writing/a serious story. 
> 
> But like, it's not that angsty because... we know everything worked out lol. 
> 
> Still, thought that if they were to argue very seriously about anything, it would be this. Let me know what you think! See you next week.


	7. Surprise Spoiler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph accidentally spoils a surprise for Aang and Lin.
> 
> ~123 AG
> 
> Word Count: 1,412

Toph groaned as she shifted in her spot on the couch. The master earthbender was _trying_ to get in an afternoon snooze before responsibilities piled up and dinner needed to be prepared. But her back was aching and her neck started to get stiff and she couldn’t find any relief from the aches. _Stupid couch_ , she thought.

Was she being a little unreasonable in blaming the couch for her ailments when the discomfort was probably because she was six months pregnant?

Probably, but no one was going to argue with her for the next few months, so there was no harm in putting all the blame on an inanimate object. 

Her complaining thoughts were interrupted when she heard muffled laughter coming from the yard. Normally, Toph would have kept a watchful foot on the ground to sense Lin’s movements, but she knew Aang was out with their toddler, so she didn’t feel the need to; her one foot was sitting flat on the soft surface of the couch, while the other rested on her perched knee. She heard squeals of joy and was tempted to set her foot down, but Toph heard the wind pick up speed, meaning Aang was quickly approaching.

“Toph!” He exclaimed, “You have to see—er— _feel this!_ ”

Toph gave Aang a bemused look and her usual snarky reply, “I’m busy, Twinkletoes. Can’t _you_ see?”

Aang huffed and strode over to the couch. He placed his hands on both sides of her waist, fingers threatening to tickle. Toph tensed in preparation for the tickle assault, but Aang gave his wife a chance to concede, “ _Please_? Just come outside for a second!”

“Why? You’re going to tell me anyway! Besides, it sounds like Lin is _inside_ now.”

Aang turned around to see that Toph was right. Lin was back inside, running around and giggling. And as much as Aang wanted Toph to witness what happened outside, he decided it could wait.

The airbender gave a small groan and laid his head down on Toph’s chest in defeat. Toph breathed out a laugh and rubbed his bald head. 

When Aang lifted his head up, he changed the subject and asked Toph, “How are you two feeling today?” He placed a small, quick kiss on Toph’s lips and her round stomach. She gave a casual shrug in reply and said, “Eh, the baby’s been kicking a lot today, so it’s been hard to focus. And to nap.”

Aang furrowed his brow and responded, “Oh, I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?” His focus was being pulled toward Lin, who was tugging at his robes. He began to entertain her in the free space near the couch.

Toph waved her hand, “Nah, the kicks are light, nothing at all like Lin’s. His are so light he’s probably an airbender.” She gave a smirk at the end, but Aang was ready to burst.

“Toph, WHAT?” he practically screeched.

Perplexed by the sudden outburst, a confused look grew on Toph’s face. “Uh, what??”

“Are you serious?”

“What? That I think our baby’s an airbender?” She started to sit up from her laid back position.

“That our baby is a _boy_.”

Toph felt the warmth in her face drain. “Ummm, no? Did I say anything? Boy, what?” She was internally cursing herself. Aang made her _swear_ to never tell the gender of the baby, even though she knew. Something about it being ‘part of the fun.’ 

Aang slapped his forehead, “I can’t believe this. I feel betrayed!” He was definitely sad that the surprise was ruined, but Aang liked the idea of making the situation more dramatic than it needed to be. Aang couldn’t help but continue because Lin started copying his distraught mannerisms. She even mimicked him, “I feel betrayed!” 

Toph rubbed her face and laid back down, “Oh Oma and Shu, not you too!” Lin only giggled, then copied the mock scowl that was on Aang’s face. Aang made a voice that mirrored his look, “I told you to make it a surprise! Now Lin and I both know and the surprise is _ruined._ ”

“Spirits above, this _kid_ was a surprise enough! Why does this even matter??” She gave an indignant huff. Toph figured this argument was all a joke, but the fact that Lin was on his side? She had to show her own mock disapproval, “Not only that, but you turned _my daughter_ against me?!”

“Hey!” Aang scooped up Lin in his arms, who laughed in approval, “ _Our daughter_ likes to be surprised! Now we’ve been spoiled of the surprise _and_ we now know that the baby will also probably be an airbender.”

Toph gave an exaggerated sigh as Aang continued, “You are now Toph Beifong: World’s Biggest Surprise Spoiler!”

“Spoiler!” Lin yelled in agreement. 

Toph huffed and crossed her arms, feet still up on the couch. “Well, _I’m sorry_ I’m so good at earthbending that I can _see_ what our kid will be. It’s hard not to use he or she when you _know_!” 

It wasn’t _really_ an apology, but probably the best that Aang was going to get. He gave a small smirk, set Lin down, and kneeled toward Toph. 

Toph heard him approach the couch and patted his cheek firmly, “I promise I will not reveal the gender of our future children.” 

Aang quirked an eyebrow, “ _Future_ children? Are we having more than two, now?”

She raised her finger up and replied nonchalantly, “I make no promises because this still fuc—” she paused, then whispered, “This still fucking sucks.”

Aang chuckled. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of crashing pans.

Toph quickly sat up and set her foot on the ground, “What was that? Lin?!”

Again, Aang chuckled. He relished seeing the bewildered and slightly angry look Toph was giving him for laughing, but replied, “About that. Lin and I have a surprise for _you_. Lin! Come here! Show Mama.”

“ _Show_ me what? The mess she made?”

Aang hushed his wife, “Tsk tsk, so impatient. This is a _surprise_!”

Lin toddled over to the living room again with a giddy smile on her face. Aang brought up a small rock from their living room floor and set it on the ground, “Lin, do what you did outside!”

Before Toph could even question what was happening, she _felt_ Lin earthbend the rock out into the yard. She sat there in disbelief and was about to sit up to put her other foot on the ground. But Lin came running to the edge of the couch and threw herself into Toph’s arms with excitement, “I’m like Mama!”

“You’re—she’s.” Toph twisted her face in confusion (Aang smirked to himself when he saw the look on Toph’s face). Confusion turned into pride and excitement and she squeezed Lin tightly, exclaiming, “You’re an earthbender, Lin!” When Toph stood up, she picked up her daughter that was, as Aang would say, her carbon copy. She tried to hold down the tears that were forming behind her eyes. Toph was somewhat surprised at her own reaction: She knew Lin was likely a bender, but to know for sure that she was an earthbender, and to witness it? That was something else. Toph never cared for surprises, but this was one of the best she received.

She gave her daughter another tight squeeze, “Come on, Little Badgermole, let’s move some mountains!” Toph set Lin down, who proceeded by squealing and running outside. 

Aang noticed her wiping her eyes and teased, “Is Toph Beifong _crying_?” He wrapped his long arms around her when he finished giving her a hard time.

Toph shot him a look and replied, “Oh, shut up.” She then relaxed into his embrace and returned it, “Thank you, Aang,” she said sincerely, “For not spoiling the surprise.” 

Aang smiled and kissed his wife’s forehead before she walked away into the yard. He stood at the doorway and beamed as he watched his two earthbenders toss rocks around. Toph even began showing Lin basic forms. His heart filled with pride, seeing the two connect with their bending element and the proud look on Toph’s face. Aang could only hope that he would experience the same feeling with their new baby. The prospect of a son and an airbender made him soar, barely able to contain his growing emotions for the family he had. 

And for once, Aang was glad that a surprise was spoiled for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another fluffy Taang story.
> 
> Quick note: Not sure if it comes up in future stories, but I can't really capture toddler pronunciation, grammar, syntax, the works. So I don't try. But Lin is like 3 here, so for this story and future (if necessary) use your imagination: r's and l's probably sound like w's. And it looked ridiculous when I wrote it out so I just left it lol. My apologies, but this is me being lazy.
> 
> Suggestions and comments are always welcome! Feel free to drop by my Tumblr (@stitch1830) to give ideas or see updates on my stories.
> 
> See you next week!


	8. What's It Like?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang and Toph are tired of their friends complaining about their relationships, so one day they decide to show them up and pull the ultimate prank.
> 
> ~110 AG
> 
> Word Count: 3,040

The Avatar and the Greatest Earthbender in the World were an inseparable and _insufferable_ pair. Together, the two wreaked havoc on friends and strangers with their inside jokes, pranks, and ridiculous sayings. If their friends didn’t love the two, they wouldn’t put up with their shenanigans. Alas, the group loved them _too_ much, and withstood the trials and tribulations of being friends with Toph and Aang. 

They just didn’t think it would get worse when they became a couple. 

It started as a dumb dare by Sokka, who bet that they wouldn’t kiss in front of the group. He knew that Aang had a horrid crush on Toph, even if Aang didn’t know it himself. Sokka assumed Aang would stutter out a “No” and Toph would just yell out obscenities and call the dare stupid. But he was proven wrong when Toph simply stated, “All right. Pucker up, Twinkles.” She stood up in front of the group and waited for her ‘opponent’ to strike. Everyone, not just Toph, felt Aang freeze in his seat and his heart race. As he got older, it wasn’t like him to show such a public display of affection for someone he actually _liked_ , especially if the person didn’t _really_ know he liked them. The idea of him showcasing his interest in Toph in front of everyone he cared about seemed a bit too much all at once.

But, he glanced over at Toph and saw her brilliant smirk in place. The smirk that said, “Relax, don’t think too much. It’ll be fine, trust me.” When he saw her confidence in this awkward situation, he too grew confident in himself. So, he stood up, faced his ‘opponent’ head on, and planted a firm kiss on Toph’s lips. And somehow and at some point immediately after that dare, the two became a couple.

The duo as a couple would’ve been seen as cute if they didn’t make _Messing with the Rest of the Group_ their favorite date night activity. Their pranks and schemes weren’t grand or a spectacle per say, but were rather small and a nuisance. Little annoyances that couldn’t be proven to be them, but deep down they knew it was Aang and Toph. Like the one time Katara couldn’t find her hair ties for the life of her, so she couldn’t put in her signature loops. Or the time the wind made Zuko’s tea cold no matter how many times he warmed it in his hands. Or when Suki couldn’t find her wipes to take off her makeup. Or that time they moved everything on Sokka’s work desk one inch to the left. They had only been dating a month and their incessant pranks were wearing on them all. Still, Aang and Toph were cute together, and despite the pain and grief it gave the rest of them, they noticed that they were always better and happier when they were next to each other. 

If the group looked back on the pranks Aang and Toph made, there were only a few that could be considered outlandish, but none that embedded in the group's mind and stuck out to them as the prank of a lifetime. Or so they thought. 

On a normal day in the Fire Nation, the group gathered in the dining area for breakfast and noticed Toph and Aang come down late to the party looking hungover, but in a good mood and snickering to themselves.

“You two seem to be in a chipper mood,” Suki noted.

Sokka agreed and added, “Yeah! I thought we were going to hang out together, but you guys ran off yesterday.”

“What did you guys do last night?” Katara asked. 

Toph smirked as she made herself a cup of coffee. Aang shrugged casually, “Oh nothing special...”

Toph sat next to Aang, sipped her coffee, then said in the most casual, indifferent tone. “We just got married yesterday.”

So, this was the story of the greatest prank Toph and Aang pulled on their friends. 

Oh, it was also how they ended up getting married, too.

…… 

For some reason, every single one of their friends went to Aang and Toph for their relationship issues, even though they were probably the _least_ qualified out of everyone in the group to dole out advice. They were the youngest out of everyone, their relationship was the shortest of everyone’s, and as far as healthy communication went, Aang and Toph did not take the top prize. Still, everyone wanted to ask _them_ how to deal with relationship woes, and it seemed that everyone needed advice on the same day. So it was no surprise that when the group split off after dinner, Aang and Toph complained to each other about their day of relationship therapy.

Aang sighed and flopped on the bed. “I need a drink.” 

Toph’s head spun quickly from the bathroom to the direction of the bed. The earthbender could count on one hand the number of times Aang _had_ a drink, so hearing him _request_ one was a bit of a shocker. “I’m sorry,” she began, cleaning out her ear to hear him clearly, “you need a _what?_ ”

Aang turned his head toward Toph. “You know, a drink! Zuko and Sokka are _killing_ me with relationship talk, I’m so tired of it.”

“Wait, Zuko and Sokka both came to you for relationship advice?” 

“Yeah,” he sighed, “it’s a whole ordeal with both of them. I just need to decompress for a sec, and a beverage sounds good right about now.”

Aang’s girlfriend knitted her eyebrows, still thoroughly confused at his request. “Are we talking like a cup of tea or like cactus juice kind of beverage, Twinkletoes?” 

“Well, probably somewhere in the middle of that… But yes, I think an _alcoholic beverage_ sounds nice right about now. You know a guy?” he teased.

“Do I _know_ a guy?” She smirked and grabbed his hand. Toph had a mental rule that if Aang ever asked to do something wild and crazy, she would say yes. Drinking alcohol wasn’t _that_ crazy for her, but for Aang? It was almost like him picking seal jerky for a snack. “You bet your fucking _ass_ I do, Twinkletoes!” Toph yanked him off the bed, literally, and ran to the door. “Let’s go!”

…… 

“It’s just _so_ aggravating!” Aang complained. The couple found a small bar a few blocks from the Fire Nation Palace. They hoped their disguises would pass as a good enough cover, but played it safe and ventured a little further into the Fire Nation where people didn’t care that the Avatar or The Greatest Earthbender in the World were together in a bar. When they arrived, Toph ordered drinks for them, and Aang went on his rant while Toph drank and Aang sipped. “Like, why do they drag their feet with stuff, and why do they come to _me_?!” The airbender was already tipsy on his first glass of sake, and it was extremely entertaining.

“Probably because they think you have all the answers, Mr. Avatar.” Toph teased. She was tipsy as well, but outpaced her boyfriend 3 drinks to 1. 

“Toph,” Aang complained, “this is an issue! I want to help them, but I don’t know how.”

“I know what you mean. Katara and Suki complained to me too.”

“Really??”

“What, is it so hard to believe that _I_ might have relationship advice?” 

“Yes. Yes it is.” Aang replied honestly. He received a firm punch to the arm for his candor and he rubbed it to ease the pain. “I find it hard to believe that _anyone_ comes to us for relationship advice. It took a dare for me to even kiss you! And you never tell me anything.”

Toph laughed, “You’re not wrong, Twinkletoes.” 

“It’s always something with the group!” Aang rambled on, “Sokka loves Suki but doesn’t want to get married yet. Zuko is obsessed with Katara, but isn’t sure if she wants to live in the Fire Nation.” 

“And Suki doesn’t want to get married yet, and Katara wishes Zuko would just ask her already,” Toph added. “This runaround is crazy, and they beg us not to tell anyone!”

Aang shook his head, “They make it so difficult.”

“But hey, at least we have alcohol.” Toph raised her glass, prompting Aang to do the same.

“And for once, I agree with you.” Aang raised his glass. With his inhibitions lowered and the warm feeling bubbling in his stomach, he couldn’t say no to just one more drink.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Twinkletoes. You _always_ agree with me.” She smirked and clinked her glass to his, downing it in one gulp.

…… 

After many more drinks, the two were _very_ drunk, still on the topic of relationships (at this point they were repeating the same arguments over and over, they just didn’t know it). Aang slurred on, “They love each other! Why don’t they just _talk to each other!_ ”

“I agree, Twinkley-toes,” Toph mumbled. “The running around is _ridiculous._ ”

“Absurd!”

She firmly planted her hand on his shoulder and forced his face close to hers. “We should show them how easy it is to be together!” 

“Yes! But how?” Aang slurred. 

“I have no idea!” Toph shouted.

“Hmmm,” Aang wondered audibly. How could they show the group that they were the better couple? 

Then it hit him. He gasped, “We should get married! Show them how easy it is!”

Toph was silent for a moment, then replied, “Okay.” Her face was blurry to Aang, but he thought that he saw her mischievous grin. 

“Okay?!” Aang was giddy at this point.

“Yeah, Aang! Let’s get married! Right now.”

“Yes!” Aang stood up quickly and stumbled, “Wow, this is a brilliant idea. I’m proud of myself!”

“Gotta hand it to you, Baldy.” Toph stood as well and leaned heavily on the airbender. “This is probably the best prank you’ve come up with.”

They laughed hysterically as they stumbled their way to the nearest temple…

… And woke up with the biggest headache and hangover. Aang found himself stark naked in his Fire Nation guest room, with Toph right next to him in the same predicament. That didn’t worry him, what did worry him was the splitting headache he had and the blank spaces in his memory from last night. He groaned as he slowly sat up, his movements waking up his wife next to him.

Wait… _wife?_

The realization of what they did last night hit him like Azula’s lightning. He didn’t have time to process it, because Toph was up and complaining as she got dressed.

“Damn, Twinkletoes. How did you get me drunk last night?” She stretched and sighed in relief as she cracked her back. 

“Toph,” Aang treaded carefully. He was afraid of the blowup that might occur when she remembered last night's events. “Do you remember what we did last night?”

“Besides each other?” Toph laughed, “Not really, no. I’m impressed, Twinkletoes. You got me _drunk_ drunk, and that doesn’t happen often.”

“Toph,” he was thoroughly freaking out at this point, “I think we got _married_ last night.”

Toph stilled from putting on her shirt, then _laughed_. “Oh yeah! That’s right. Wow, what a night.” She smirked as she finished getting dressed, then flopped back down on the bed next to Aang. “So tell me, Twinkletoes. What’s it like to be married to The Greatest Earthbender in the World?”

“How can you be so casual about this! Our lives are _tied to each other_. Forever. And we did it just to prank our friends?!”

Toph yawned, then shrugged. “It was bound to happen at some point. What’s the big deal if it’s now?”

“Because we’re so young and—” Aang hesitated after fully comprehending what Toph said. “Wait, this was bound to happen?”

Toph propped herself on her elbows and cradled her head in her hands, “If I recall correctly, people start relationships to find the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with, no? Are you _planning_ on dumping me anytime soon, Twinkles?”

“Of course not! But—”

“—But what?”

“Don’t you think we got married for the _wrong_ reasons?”

Toph wrinkled her nose. “I mean, probably not our _smartest_ move, but I don’t think this is that big a problem.”

“This isn’t a big problem?” Aang was a little surprised that she was so casual about their situation. 

“Well, yeah.” She rolled onto her back and placed her hands behind her head. “Everyone kind of over exaggerates marriage. It’s just a ceremony! Nothing is different between us now that we’re married.”

“Nothing’s different?”

“Not really,” Toph replied. “Actually, sex was _amazing_ last night. If it’s like that _every time_ when we’re married?” She whistled in approval, and Aang couldn’t help but laugh.

Toph pressed on, knowing that the answer she gave wasn’t good enough for Aang. “We love each other and don’t plan on breaking up. What difference does it make if we got married last night or five years from now?”

“You love me?” Aang whispered. He saw Toph’s cheeks redden a bit, but she didn’t hesitate to answer him, albeit snarkily.

“You just going to repeat things I say, _husband?_ ” Toph chuckled, but quietly and candidly answered him. “Kind of hard _not_ to love a guy you’ve known for 10 years and saved the world with him, don’t you think?”

“I suppose,” Aang responded. “I guess, we’ve never really talked about our feelings that much until right now. I wasn’t sure what you wanted. When it came to, you know. Us.”

“After last night, I didn’t think I needed to _tell_ you how I felt.” She smirked and rolled on top of Aang, her chin on his chest. Aang gave an exasperated sigh, “Not _exactly_ what I mean, T.”

“I know,” she began, “but you know me better than anyone, and I’m not good with words.”

Aang considered his girlfrie— er— _wife’s_ statement. She was right, of course. He knew her better than anyone, and vice versa. Still, it wasn’t like Aang to be so casual about matters of the heart, and he worried what the future might hold if this was how the rest of their lives started off (well, waking up naked and cuddling with a pretty woman was nice, but the whole _drunk_ part and forgetting the night before wasn’t). So he asked her, “What if… What if we _did_ drift apart? We haven’t had a lot of time to figure out if we’re _compatible_ as a couple.”

“Well I can tell you right now we _aren’t_.” Aang’s heart sank when Toph said this, but she continued. “We are each other’s opposites. We disagree on like, everything, Aang. But that doesn’t mean that we’re not _right_ for each other.

“Being compatible doesn’t make a couple successful, understanding and commitment do.” Toph paused, reading Aang’s emotions. She bit her lip and made one more comment. “But, if you really don’t want to be married right now, we can go fix this, no hard feelings.”

Aang looked at Toph. She just so happened to be ‘staring’ at him, and it felt like she saw straight through him. Despite their unorthodox relationship, Aang had a feeling he knew everything he needed to know about Toph to decide whether or not she was the one. It took only a half a second for Aang to make up his mind and reply to Toph.

“If I recall correctly, getting married was _my_ idea.”

Toph let out a hearty laugh, “Really? That prank sounds a little too much like me!”

Aang shrugged, “The prank was a cover. I just needed an excuse to marry the woman I love at 22.” 

“Wow, the rest of our lives _together_. This is gonna suck, isn’t it, Baldy?”

“Probably,” he teased, and Toph chuckled. She raised herself over Aang and asked him, “You didn’t answer my question.” She paused for dramatic effect, her smirk firmly in place. “What’s it like to be married to The Greatest Earthbender in the World?”

“I dunno,” Aang pondered. He then swiftly flipped their position so he was on top of her, “What’s it like to be married to the Avatar?”

“Feels like crap,” she immediately jabbed. “He’s all twinkly-toed and the biggest airhead.” The airbender didn’t give up without a fight. He began to tickle his wife, hoping to hear her concede. 

Unfortunately, Aang married The Most Stubborn Woman in the World, and she didn’t stop fighting until she won.

When Toph beat him at his own game, and while they were lying on the bed next to each other, Aang asked her again, “Seriously. Are you happy we did this?”

“Besides doing you last night,” Toph teased, wrapping an arm around him, “marrying you was the best thing we did.” Aang couldn’t contain the smile on his face and kissed the top of Toph’s head.

Toph added, “Plus, I can’t _wait_ to tell the group. They’re going to flip out and they’re hearts are going to just _stop._ ”

Aang laughed, “Yeah, Katara might kill us.”

“Not if my parents get to you first,” Toph commented.

“Oh _Spirits_ , I’m a dead man.”

“Yeah, it was nice knowing ya, Twinkletoes.” 

Aang chuckled, then asked Toph, “Should we tell them now? Would be quite the morning greeting!”

“Eh, let them stew,” Toph replied. “There’s something else I wanna do.”

Aang knitted his eyebrows, “What’s that?”

“ _You_ , Twinkletoes.” Toph quickly moved on top of Aang, straddling him. “I gotta know if last night was just a drunk fluke or if you’ve been holding back.”

The Avatar laughed, “Is it going to be like this with you everyday?”

“Forever and ever, _Mr. Beifong._ ” She gave her husband a smirk before leaning down to kiss him. They moved in tandem, not coming up for air and caught up in the honeymoon phase of their marriage (or their relationship, they couldn’t tell at this point). Before he became lost in the moment, he thought about the rest of his life with Toph Beifong, and how he could _really_ get used to this.

So, what _was_ it like to be married to The Greatest Earthbender in the World?

It was a pretty great feeling, in Aang’s humble opinion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello. This story is a bit of a goofy one, but it's aight lol. Also, sorry the summary sucks.
> 
> In my head, Toph and Aang don't seem like the marrying type, but I also see them marrying as a joke and bc of a "we were drunk and went to the Vegas-church-equivalent Fire Nation Temple and now we don't feel like getting it annulled." Good thing none of their friends or family members would care if they were invited to the wedding or not!
> 
> Oh wait... 
> 
> Anyway, hope you guys have a good week/weekend! See you next week.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't usually write, but there are a couple Taang one shots that have been in the back of my mind. I also don't really recall how to format dialogue, so don't mind the grammar/format.


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